Change speed gear



April 28, 1936- L.. M. MASSON lCHANGE SPEED GEAR Filed April 18, i935 9 12 10 9 12 9 2 F1 .1. \6 7.11 34/11 g NM1/111 1 10Y 11 10 1 "..1 Y il# l/A Patented pr. 28, QS

`unirsi) STATES CHANGE 'SPEED GEAR Louis :Maxime Masson, Paris, France, assignor `to Omnium Financier pour llndustrie et :le Cornmerce (Societe Anonyme) Paris, France,a corporation of .France Application April VI8, 1935, Serial No. 17,085 Y .In France April 21, 1934 .2 claims.` (c1. 174-279) The presentinvention relates to a change speedl-gearffboxinwhich are located in succession and in alignment:

(a) A plate with a clutch enabling the driving pinion of a reduction gear to be coupled to the -driving shaft;

(b) One lor more reduction gears capable of being coupled: the rst to the Vplate indicated in paragraph aand each of the succeeding ones to the Vone which precedes it; each of the said reduction gears is provided with a free wheel mechanis'm which prevents it from turning in a Adirection opposite to that of the vdriving shaft when it is coupled with the latter.

There is thus formed a change speed gear wherein:

1. The pinions are always in engagement;

2. The pinions of each reduction gear are set in rotation or stopped by clutching or de-clutching the gear itself without the driving couple ceasing to be transmitted at any moment.

3. Direct drive is obtained by clutching the last gear to the preceding ones which have already been coupled together, in which position no pinion turns relatively to that with which it gears, the teeth only effecting the transmission of the driving couple.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 shows in perspective and in section the general arrangement of a four-speed gear according to the invention.

Fig. 2 shows a form of construction of the clutches and their actuating device.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic development of the actuating drums of the clutches.

Fig. 4 is a section of a detail of construction of a clutch in the declutched position.

Fig. 5 shows the same in the clutched position.

In Fig. l, I is a fixed casing, 2 is the flywheel of the driving shaft rotating in the direction of the arrow a, 3 is the driven shaft rotating freely on the flywheel 2 by which it is supported and in the reduction gears supported thereby. This shaft is secured to the driven pinion 4" of the last gear, 5 is the plate carrying the first clutch 6 and the pinion l which drives the first reduction train. 8, 8', 8" are reduction units (similar to one another in the example shown) each provided with a clutch B, 9', 9", which can be engaged with the preceding element, and with a free wheel device shown in the most elementary manner by ratchet wheels I0, I', I9"and pawls II, II', II". The reduction gears each comprise a driving wheel 7, 1', l" gearing with a driven wheel 4, 4'., 4"' vby Vvone ormore trains I2, :I2', I2" supported by the units 8, 8', 8", the pinion'll being secured to the pinion I and the pinion 4' being secured to the pinion '1"'.

v The operation is as ollowszV v5 In the neutral position the four clutches are declutched. For passing to the rst speed the rst clutch 6 is engaged; the pinion I secured to 6 drives II2 then `II which in turn drives 1', I 2", and

4' which in turn `nally drives 1", lI2", and lIl". -10

Assuming lthat in each reduction gear the ratio `of gears produces a reduction in speed of ratio 2 :5

there will be obtained, in the case of the rst speed above described a total reduction ratio of 1-5 1.5 1-5=3-375. 15

-For Vpassing to the second speed the clutch 9 is engaged whilst leaving the clutch 6 also engaged; the unit 8 is connected to the plate and to the driving shaft; the pinions I2, 4 are locked together and only serve as driving elements for the pinion 'I' which then drives the two reduction trains l', I2', 4' and 1", I2", 4" producing a reduction ratio of l-5 l-5=225 only.

For passing to 3rd speed the clutch 9 is engaged without declutching 6 and 9, the unit 8' is thus in turn coupled to the driving shaft as a result of which the speed reducing pinions which it contains are rendered inoperative as above described. The reduction in speed in this case is thus not more than 1-5.

For passing to the fourth speed 9 is clutched, without declutching the other clutches whereby the unit 8" is coupled to the preceding ones and the last reduction stage is eliminated, thus producing direct drive.

For passing downwardly through the various speed stages the operation is exactly the reverse to that above described, each reduction gear when declutched coming to rest relatively to the fixed 40 casing its free wheel mechanism ensuring therefor a point of support so that its reversing couple does not drive in a direction opposite to the arrow a.

In Fig. 2 is shown a form of construction of 45 the clutches and their actuating means, wherein the clutches only set up friction during their operation. In this gure each of the clutches 6,

9, 9', 9" is provided with a ring I3 sliding freely on the body of the clutch and of which the movement (from left to right in the figures) isfproduced by lateral shoes I4 which are operated by levers I5 through the medium of ball joints I6. The levers I5 are operated by drums Il mounted on a shaft I8, operable from the outside by a hand wheel la.

The drums I1 are provided with grooves, of

' which a development is shown diagrammatically clutchings asin thecase ation abovedescribed. Y

i In Vall cases there is obtained'ajvery smooth transition between the speeds without the couple and thus no appreciable friction between the ring I3 and its driving'shoes I4. -V

It will be understood that the form of Yconstruction above described is only'given by way of example as the actuation of the clutches may be Veiected equally *well by otherY known means (transmission by compressed air or fluid, electrically and so forth) as long as these means are actuated in aV manner for obtaining successive of the mechanical actuceasing to be transmitted at any moment, in contrast to what occurs in change speed gears with pinions and a single clutch of usual type.V

- 'Ihere is thus obtained a control of the speeds Vas exble as'thatgob/tained, for example, by a :controller on an electric vehicle. 1

. VIt will thus-be seen that the means of construction above described may be varied to a large extent without departing from the yscope of the following. claims.

I claim: Y Y 1. In aV change speed gear the combination with a driving shaft and a driven shaft of a plate and a reduction unit arranged in alignment, a clutch on saidA plate, a clutch on said unit, said clutches being adapted to co-operate with one another, said reduction unit including a train of gear wheels, one of said gear wheels being car- Y ried by said plate and another of said gear Wheels being keyed to said driven shaft, a clutchV on said driving shaft,l means for successively bringing said clutches into and out of operative engagement with one another, and meansfor preventing said unit rom'rotating in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation ofV said driving shaft, said means being independent of the means for operating said clutches. Y

2.l In a change speed gear the combination with a driving shaft and a driven shaft, of a plate and a plurality of reduction units arranged I in alignment, a clutch on said plate', aplurality of 1 clutches provided one on ea-ch of said units, said clutches being adapted to'be brought successively into engagement with one another, each of said reduction units including aetrain of gear wheels,

one of the gear wheels of the-rst reduction unit being carried by said plateV and another of said gear wheels being Yconnected to the'rst gear wheel of the next unit, onerof the gear Wheels of the last unit being keyed to said driven shaft, a

clutch on saidY driving shaft, means for succes-V sively bringing said clutches into an` operative engagement with one another, and means for pref venting said units from rotating in a directionV opposite to the direction of rotationof said driving shaft, said means being independent of Vthe means for operating said clutches. a

' LOUIS MAXIME MASSON. 

